


Empty Waters

by jinx22



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Eelbert, Ferdinands Bestest Friend Lorenz, Happy Ending, M/M, More tags will be added as it progresses, thats it thats the only tag you need
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:14:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23682970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinx22/pseuds/jinx22
Summary: A sequel to Ink Filled.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 16
Kudos: 141





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read inkfilled I suggest you do, although I will try to make this one coherent as a stand alone fic too! I hope you enjoy this teaser chapter, longer ones will be coming I just wanted something to get everyones interest piqued ;)

“Ferdinand!” 

The bars of the cell rattle as Ferdinand gets closer, led on by two policemen who look more so frustrated rather than unhappy, and a little bit scared, as they grow closer to the bars of the cell that rattle more. 

“They found him running around town naked, yelling for you.” One of the men says, and Ferdinand can’t help the small smile that appears on his face despite the ever-growing confusion. If the man hissing his name from around the corner was who Ferdinand thought it was, then how on earth did he even make himself here? On  _ land _ ? It was one thing to meet a sea creature but witchcraft was an  _ entirely _ disproven fact, far beyond the realms of natural science. 

Yet, standing before him in oversized clothes and with bare feet stood none other than his creature, Hubert. Eyes were just as black as they were when he was an eel, his thin eyebrows drawn in anger and his sharp, pointed teeth baring at the guards who stand just slightly in front of Ferdinand, hands on their swords as if ready to draw them should Hubert spit or snarl again.

“Do you know him, sir Aegir?” A guard asks, looking almost frightened to approach the cage, where Hubert is locked in, to let him out. Infact, the man seemed to have a sort of red, bloody bite mark on his hand. 

“Certainly.” Ferdinand clears his throat, because even despite his confusion it would do no one any good to leave Hubert in a place like this. And, if Ferdinand must admit it, he rather missed the man after two long years of thinking him dead; all since the morning he had been abandoned after.. Well..

“He’s one of the castle's servants.” Ferdinand clears his throat, “Now unchain him. I will take him back to the manor.”

With a dip of his head, albeit still looking unsure, the policeman does as instructed while the other hovers back slightly - hand tight on the shaft of his weapon and shaking.  _ Honestly,  _ Hubert must have certainly given them their penny’s worth when he had been caught! He was hardly a fearsome creature, more like a big child with some claws and teeth.

“Is he- you know..” the man beside Ferdinand trails off, and Ferdinand turns to look at him, pulled from his thoughts and raising a perfectly groomed eyebrow. The guard lowers his voice slightly, wetting his bottom lip sheepishly, “mentally defect?” 

Ferdinand can only bite back a laugh, shaking his head as Hubert is unlocked and snarling at the guards as he passes by them and across to Ferdinand, grabbing a hold of his sleeve. 

“Not at all.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for tuning in! I hope you enjoy.
> 
> * A redingote is a formal man's coat characterised by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knee, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods (1820s–1920s)
> 
> * The city they live in is fictional! But I based the aesthetic of it on Santorini in Greece, despite the fic being set somewhere in England. Why? Because that's what I was vibing with

Ferdinand sits atop the jetty amongst the waves, hot tea in hand as the sun rises over the horizon. It is a cold morning, and so around his shoulders expensive jackets and scarves are wrapped in many layers. His long, pale blue redingote is the starring piece, and quite fanciful with its golden trim and silver buttons, and Ferdinand knows full well it is something he should  _ not _ be wearing to sit on a dirty pier with... But it’s become quite a habit of his to take this position each morning and gaze over the waves. 

Perhaps, when he thinks about it, it’s what he wears amongst these layers of coats and the ruffles of his white shirt that keeps him coming back. Perhaps past the scarves and past his undergarments it’s that small stone necklace, wrapped in yarn with a loop long enough to get his head over like a necklace, with the memories it holds, that keeps him coming  _ here _ each morning. 

And why a simple, grey stone? One may ask. Well, Ferdinand reminseses, it was the only thing upon his being when he had woken up, clutched tightly in his fist when he shivered on the sand, half frozen from the icy waves that lapped at his bare legs until he had been found during someone’s morning stroll.

Weeks he had been gone! Weeks! And presumed dead! 

_ And _ it took another month following that to recover. Week after week spent on bed rest, recovering from a list of sickness including, but not limited to, hypothermia, malnutrition and a mental disorder some only dared to call  _ depression.  _ It would be no good for the son of the Prime Minister to come down with such a thing. No, it would definitely soil the reputation of the Queen herself. 

Even amongst this information, Ferdinand can’t help but think now, that if his nurses and his father were so worried about news getting out that he may be suffering from a  _ depression _ , heavens knows what they would have thought if they had found out somehow that their perfect royal-blooded Ferdinand had given birth to a hundred-odd tadpoles.

Ferdinand swallows that thought back down for a bit later, and shifts where he sits on the hard wood of the jetty as the waves pick back up. His clothing provides little warmth despite the amount of layers he wears, and in an attempt to combat it he tugs his redingote tighter around his shoulders while the breeze steadily grows colder as the sun vanishes behind a bank of clouds that sit above the horizon.

His eyes zone out, and as they do, they catch something dark in the waves far away. But upon blinking, it’s gone, and with it his heart sinks.

It felt oddly wrong to miss  _ him _ , for it was hardly realistic to dream of a life wedded to a sea monster. 

But Ferdinand did anyway. 

Perhaps he was a sucker for romance. 

A fool for fairy tales. 

And perhaps he had seen the humanity behind Hubert’s dark eyes and the way he tried his very best, in his own unusual way, to take care of Ferdinand. To find him food, nurse him back to health and keep him protected even  _ if _ the place he was keeping him protected was in a rock dungeon; deep, deep below the waves. 

But Hubert had been kind when he had saved Ferdinand. Kind when he had fed him, caring when he had touched him until it felt good for the both of them. He was even loving when he had aided him through his pr-- The memory resurfaces without permission once more and with it a heat builds deep in his gut, but Ferdinand swallows it down in refusal to think of it once more.

Oh, but he had felt so whole during that time and despite how innately  _ wrong _ it was he missed it so. He missed the feeling of Hubert against him, holding him and kissing him. 

_ Marking _ him. 

But then, Ferdinand wonders as his gaze wanders, was that what really happened? Maybe it was a dream, what everyone tried to convince him it was. Or a scenario his mind concocted to save him when in reality he was half dead and laying amongst the sand and seaweed, breathing in too much salt water and suffering from a lack of oxygen. 

Two years later with no signs and no communication Ferdinand was beginning to think so.

And yet he continued to wear the damned necklace. 

He forces himself to relax again, knowing no good would come of him growing emotional so early in the morning. Ferdinand had a time where he had shed tears each day, but now he had a better control on it and intended to keep it that way! 

So with a deep breath, he raises his cup of tea to his lips and takes a long sip of the fruity flavoured drink. 

"What has you in such a sap so early in the morning." 

Ah, that voice could only belong to one person. The one person that Ferdinand had told, although in a more appropriate story, his memories too. His friend had sat and listened, nodded when needed and pulled faces where Ferdinand had expected him too. 

And then told him that he had brain damage.

"I am simply finishing my tea outside." Ferdinand says back, taking another sip to prove his point and not turning around when the footsteps behind him grow louder, or even as his friend is squat down beside him.

"Scooch up then! Heavens, you don't need an entire pier to yourself so early in the morning."

A chuckle is managed despite his inner turmoil, and finally he shifts up a bit until Lorenz can plonk himself down beside Ferdinand, letting out his own groan as he cradles sweet rose tea close to his cold-blue lips.

"I have no idea why you're quite so obsessed with sitting here each morning in the blooming  _ freezing cold _ -” His voice is cut off as he shivers, taking another long sip of his tea.

Ferdinand smiles, glancing longfully out into the waves again. "You know why." 

_ I'm waiting for a sign.  _

Lorenz just rolls his eyes, shaking his head slightly when he follows Ferdinands gaze. "Maybe so, and yet.. I struggle to believe it."

They fall into a comfortable silence eventually, snuggling close as the wind picks up despite the sun growing higher in the sky. It turns the dark sky pink and yellow and the clouds white where they're illuminated, while the sea stands a bright blue as the golden beams hit it. Yet the shadows of the sea and sky remain dark, and while each wave has a crest of gold - beside it the dark blues and grays of the ocean swirl around it’s underside. The clouds in the sky are similar, with ones too far from the sun's rays remaining grey and rainy, looking like they may thunder at any moment. 

It's quite a sight, and also a fair bit terrifying. How could something so dangerous be so incredibly beautiful?

In the back of his mind a voice tells him that it’s a little bit like Hubert, isn’t it.

The beauty in fear, and the lust in something so tantalizingly gorgeous. 

The two rise after a long gander and extended tea break, climbing the many white stairs that lead up from the beach and guide the people who dock their ships into town. Their village is built across a hill - and is nothing marvellous or booming such as the city of London - but it’s beautiful with rows of white and light stone houses, all in layers above each other with the main town road through the middle. Cobblestone walls line the houses too, and amongst them are bushes and plants native to the seaside area that grow larger and eventually into a forest of trees the further one heads towards the country. 

Ferdinand and Lorenz wander past the little cafes amongst the town centre serving cakes in the windows, the delicious little eatery's with bread rolls and sandwiches and soups that smell delightful - if Ferdinand could only concentrate on anything other than the figure he had seen in the water earlier.

It was bugging him more than usual today too. And while some days he could go for hours without thinking about Hubert, even the occasional day he could go without missing him at all but… today there was a certain sense of longing in his stomach that made him miss his partner more than usual.

"Goodness your mind really is awry today, isn't it!" Lorenz huffs out beside him while Ferdinand drags his gaze away from the themed cupcakes that have little decorations that look like octopus’s in the window.

“Hm?” He asks, proving Lorenz’s point, to which his friend gives a soft huff and looks away. “Since you disappeared it has been Hubert this and Hubert that - I don’t even know what the man looks like!”

“Hubert?”

“Heavens, Ferdinand. Keep on track-”

“No, Lorenz, is that-”

Ferdinand can hear Lorenz start to speak up again, but he’s too busy watching as a very nude and very pale figure vanishes behind a building, followed by two police. His heart thumps in his chest as the policemen call out, because he swears for just a second when he had caught a glimpse of the man's face it looked like--

No. It couldn’t be.

Lorenz gives him a tug on his sleeve, and soon enough Ferdinand can feel his gaze being drawn away because there’s no  _ way _ in Heaven’s earth could that be Hubert. Especially not now, it’s far too much of a coincidence for him to show up and especially with legs running through the street.

No. It must just be a drunk, some mindless human. A fool with no brain.

But.. Ferdinand had been through crazier things then this. 

His hand drifts over his stomach unconsciously as he’s reminded vividly of the nights he spent in Hubert’s rock cave, the way his body adapted and the kisses Hubert gave him that seemed to pour magic into his lungs so he could breathe underwater. So he could keep warm.

And suddenly the idea of Hubert turning up now with a pair of legs did not seem so far fetched.

It stays on his mind all throughout his afternoon with Lorenz and all throughout his walk home, to the largest house on the hill - sitting in all its glory with big arched windows and tall turrets.

It sticks with him while he eats dinner on the opposite end of the long dining table with his father, in a room decorated beautifully with golden candles, each glowing bright in the dully lit room. A room dressed up with red wall hangings, framed paintings of generations of his family adorning the tall walls, with himself, his mother and his father taking the center stage above a fireplace.

He wrestles with the thought as he bathes and dresses for bed, walking up the rounding stairs to his bedroom decorated much like the other rooms of the house, all red and golden like.

And yet the thoughts stick still, more and more as he lights the candle beside his bed and crawls into the soft sheets.

Because Ferdinand couldn’t lie that it was  _ lovely _ \- to have those soft sheets back. Indeed he had missed them but what he now misses  _ more;  _ more than  _ any _ amount of belongings or security, or possessions or delicious meals... was the embrace from a partner. He misses the way Hubert had dragged his face over Ferdinand’s shoulder and sunk his hands into Ferdinand’s hair.

He misses the kisses- either soft or hard it did not matter. He just misses-

There is a knock at his door, urgent, and Ferdinand sits up from where he was almost drifting off, clearing his throat once before speaking.

“Come in.”

When his door pushes open and two guards stand there looking quite terrified, somehow in the back of Ferdinand’s mind he knows what they’re about to say.

“We have a prisoner. He’s… He’s refusing to speak to anyone except for you, sir.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Ferdinand!” 

The bars of the cell rattle as Ferdinand gets closer, led on by two policemen who look more so frustrated rather than unhappy, and a little bit scared, as they grow closer to the bars of the cell that rattle more.   


“They found him running around town naked, yelling for you.” One of the men says, and Ferdinand can’t help the small smile that appears on his face despite the ever-growing confusion. If the man hissing his name from around the corner was who Ferdinand thought it was, then how on earth did he even make himself here? On  _ land  _ ? It was one thing to meet a sea creature but witchcraft was an  _ entirely  _ disproven fact, far beyond the realms of natural science. 

Yet, standing before him in oversized clothes and with bare feet stood none other than his creature, Hubert. Eyes were just as black as they were when he was an eel, his thin eyebrows drawn in anger and his sharp, pointed teeth baring at the guards who stand just slightly in front of Ferdinand, hands on their swords as if ready to draw them should Hubert spit or snarl again.

“Do you know him, sir Aegir?” A guard asks, looking almost frightened to approach the cage, where Hubert is locked in, to let him out. Infact, the man seemed to have a sort of red, bloody bite mark on his hand. 

“Certainly.” Ferdinand clears his throat, because even despite his confusion it would do no one any good to leave Hubert in a place like this. And, if Ferdinand must admit it, he rather missed the man after two long years of thinking him dead; all since the morning he had been abandoned after.. Well..

“He’s one of the castle's servants.” Ferdinand clears his throat, “Now unchain him. I will take him back to the manor.”

With a dip of his head, albeit still looking unsure, the policeman does as instructed while the other hovers back slightly - hand tight on the shaft of his weapon and shaking.  _ Honestly,  _ Hubert must have certainly given them their penny’s worth when he had been caught! He was hardly a fearsome creature, more like a big child with some claws and teeth.

“Is he- you know..” the man beside Ferdinand trails off, and Ferdinand turns to look at him, pulled from his thoughts and raising a perfectly groomed eyebrow. The guard lowers his voice slightly, wetting his bottom lip sheepishly, “mentally defect?” 

Ferdinand can only bite back a laugh, shaking his head as Hubert is unlocked and snarling at the guards as he passes by them and across to Ferdinand, grabbing a hold of his sleeve. 

“Not at all.”  
  


**

  
Hubert hisses as they come out into the light, and finally Ferdinand can see him properly - the dark dungeons never having done any good for one’s eyesight. Hubert stands, like a fish out of water as the golden light from the setting sun reflects off his ghastly skin. He himself is a snivelling, snarling mess and almost… twitchy as he stands there in some spare, plain robes that hang loosely off his bony body - even bonier than when he had been a sea dwelling creature.

Not that he was ever particularly  _ lean _ , but perhaps it was more visible now with the extra bones he has and without the long, inky tail. 

“Ferdinand.” Hubert says - although it’s more of a purr - and in that second of his mind wandering, and before Ferdinand can even consider, his jaw is being cupped and he’s being pulled into a kiss on the sidewalk. 

And as much as he knows kissing in such a  _ public _ place is a terrible, terrible idea he leans back into it as Hubert's long arms pull him closer. 

Claws dig into his back as he’s kissed  _ thoroughly _ , Hubert’s wet tongue slinking into his mouth, teeth catching his bottom lip until Ferdinand feels light headed from not just the kiss but the realisation that Hubert  _ missed _ it. He missed it and  _ wants _ it as much as Ferdinand had been wanting it this whole time. 

Breaths are heavy between them, an air of desperation surrounding them as the hands don’t stop grabbing and touching, only a grunt from Ferdinand to be heard he’s shoved back against the brick wall of the alley street, held there with strong hands that bare long nails as the kiss continues. 

They pull back only when Hubert drops to his neck to drool over his clothing, muttering under his breath as his teeth hook in the expensive fabric of Ferdinand’s shirt in an attempt to rip it-

“Hubert!” Ferdinand gasps, quickly pulling away and putting a hand on his Creature’s shoulder, “Um- no, no ripping these clothes. They cost money.”

Hubert makes a face at him, nose scrunching up as he reaches out again - this time more gently - as he rubs his fingers over the fabric, “you don’t smell like me anymore.”

_ Oh. _

Ferdinand suddenly does not mind if Hubert rips his clothes off. 

“We have plenty of time for that.” He manages to get out as Hubert’s fingers trace over his neck once more, hovering where the large bite has only scarred somewhat, white and risen slightly from under his skin. “Let me take you back to my home - where I rest, and we can-”    
  
_ We can what, Ferdinand? Talk? Have a cup of tea?  _ Or _ we can take those horrendous layers off of you and let Hubert lift you against a wall- _

Hubert seems to understand what he means, and his throat bobs as he swallows, before letting his hand drop again. And perhaps Ferdinand was overthinking the matter, or not thinking deeply about it enough but it almost seemed like.. Hubert was more concerned about something other than filling him with spawn and running away. It was almost as if he was missing, or craving. 

Hubert walks close to him as Ferdinand leads him through the streets, the sky growing darker now as the sun sets and the air grows colder - not that Hubert in his thin shirt seemed particularly bothered by the fact. They reach the manor eventually though, and Ferdinand guides Hubert through the many halls and staircases with the man who follows hardly saying a word.

He does seem to be listening though, as Ferdinand chatters away with the nerves that build inside of him as the situation dawns on him. Because Hubert was  _ back _ . He was standing right there, but no longer as an Eel but a  _ human _ \- with human eyes with a bright yellow iris.

And under those clothes he has legs, and bare feet - and his teeth (although a slight bit pointier than Ferdinands!) are nowhere near as sharp as they were. 

And how? Why? Was there a reason he came back? Were the waters too full of their - and God have  _ mercy _ \- their young? Was it too atrociously noisy for Hubert so he just had to move?

“This is your den?” Hubert’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts and Ferdinand needs to blink to remind himself where he is. 

“Oh - yes. My.. we call it a bedroom. This is a room and that is my-” he gestures towards his bed, with silk curtains that surround it as well as the thick woolen blankets and quilts that cover it, all red and golden and silk - far too big for just one person. “My  _ bed _ .”

“What do you use it for?” Hubert asks as he wanders across and presses his hands onto the covers - face transforming into something that was a cross between delight and confusion. 

Ferdinand smiles too. 

And decides, silently, that the questions could wait - he doesn't know how long he will have left of this human-bert and he does not wish to stand around and find out.

“I sleep here. Humans also... Use this area for, well, copulation- um, breeding.” 

He blushes, and Hubert lifts his hands back off the bed, to turn back around, cocking his head to the side like some sort of lost puppy.

“Did you?” He asks next, breathlessly, “Breed here?” He glances towards the bed as if it’s done something wrong and Ferdinand has to stop himself from laughing before he hurts Hubert’s feelings any more than they seem to have already been hurt. 

But he can’t stop his mouth from twisting into a small smile as he closes the distance between them, reaching up to Hubert’s face almost naturally and rubbing a thumb across his pasty white skin.

“No. Only with you.”

And if that doesn’t spur Hubert on, Ferdinand would be lying. He’s pushed down onto the bed and kissed into the soft covers as Hubert’s hands thread through his hair almost  _ obsessively _ , holding onto him as he bites at his lips and around his jaw until they’re both rutting into each other with a primal need to be close. 

Hubert’s teeth are at his shoulders again and Ferdinand couldn’t care less about his shirt but he can feel the hesitance in Hubert’s muscles as he forces himself to pull back to stare at the buttons that keep his chest hidden. “Undo. Make them.. Gone.” 

And in a hurried motion with a quick nod, Ferdinand is tugging his vest and then his shirt loose, tugging the tie pin that holds his white cravat in place away and abandoning it somewhere on the floor so he can pull the material off. Hubert is like a cat with the way he pounces back as soon as his skin is showing too, immediately sinking his teeth into Ferdinand’s shoulder where the scar resides until blood swells and Ferdinand cries out with a mix of pleasure and pain.

It burns as Hubert refuses to subside, but it feels good to have this promise back, this bite that in Hubert’s world could even be something like marriage with the way he treats it. So while it hurts, it also makes Ferdinand’s heart throb and it makes his cock grow hard in his pants. 

A cool tongue soothes the bite, and kisses are placed up to his lips that are stolen again as Hubert’s hands sink down now as his perfect creature finally relaxes. They run over his legs, groping at his thighs and his ass that are still covered in material.

“You smell good now. Like mine.” 

Ferdinand’s laugh turns into a gasp as fingers circle the head of his dick that sits tight in his pants. Unable to put words together when Hubert plays with the buttons to his slacks, managing to pop them open.

“Is - is that all then? Bite me and- um, you- you are done?” He teases as Hubert’s hand wraps around his dick, pulling it from his undergarments as Ferdinand bucks up into his hand. It felt so good to be touched again properly, he had gone so long without it- and the fact that this.. Unearthly sea creature chose  _ him  _ just adds all the more fun and excitement to it. 

“No.” He replies beside Ferdinand’s ear as he nibbles at it, tongue - still long and dark slinking around it and down his neck as Hubert kisses. “Not done with you.” He squeezes his hand around Ferdinand’s cock again, finger playing at the tip before he slides it down roughly until Ferdinand gasps, already feeling the heat building in his abdomen.

It’s far too soon to finish now, but even as he tries to push Hubert’s shoulders with a silent plea to  _ stop or I’m going to come- _ he knows that’s inevitable, especially when their eyes meet and Hubert’s grip tightens perfectly. 

“Never  _ done _ with you.” The word is punctured with another jerk of his fist and Ferdinand comes, throwing his head back as the white splatters across Hubert’s hand and up his chest, ruining the clothes he had been so stupidly worried about earlier.

He pants as Hubert urges the last drops from his cock, eyes dark as he watches them drip down his softening dick, licking his lips while his expression twitches.    
  
“ _ Better _ .” Hubert mumbles as he raises that same hand to his lips, licking off Ferdinand’s spend before crawling back over him, ignoring the mess completely as his hands smooth up Ferdinand’s chest, rubbing over his nipples then continuing up to tangle back in his golden hair. He seems pleased, and he leans down to kiss at Ferdinand’s shoulder again, inhaling loudly against the same spot and his expression growing smug as he pulls back.

“Like  _ me _ ” 

Ferdinand can hardly breath, his chest still burning with want as this man’s hands roam his body. God he had been a  _ fool  _ to think he could survive without this. Why did he ever think that he could live without Hubert?   
  
“I missed you.” Ferdinand manages to get past the lump in his throat, eyes teary when he looks up to the beautiful man kneeling over him, their lips close. “I am glad you came back - came to me.”

“The sea was noisy.” Hubert says, massaging his fingers into Ferdinand’s scalp, “You are too fertile.”

Ferdinand can’t help himself as he barks a laugh back despite Hubert’s suddenly confused face. “Oh- come here-”

And then he pulls him in to connect their lips again, pulling Hubert’s bony body against his own, finally happy as he is kissed into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLOSSARY
> 
> Monotreme: a member of the egg-laying mammalian order Monotremata, which includes the amphibious platypus and the terrestrial echidnas of continental Australia.
> 
> New Holland: A historical European name for mainland Australia.

Hubert certainly wasn't fond of the idea of spending a day with someone other than Ferdinand. 

But his mate seemed insistent that he had _important duties_ to attend to, and Hubert _supposed_ that made sense. From what Ferdinand had told him, he was a Noble in this town which meant that he was important, which, therefore meant, that he had to plan things _._

It added up, in Hubert’s mind. 

Because Ferdinand was _obviously_ the most beautiful human here, so it made sense that _he_ was in charge. 

So he was okay, albeit a bit frustrated, to not be spending time with him today. 

“Lorenz is my closest friend-” Ferdinand talks from the room over, “he will show you around a little, just make sure you do as he says and do not cause any trouble.”

Hubert growls, getting up from the so-called _bed_ to make his way across to where Ferdinand places more material on himself. 

Why humans have such an obsession with layers, he does not know. They put them on to take them off, it makes it difficult to use the _‘bathroom’_ as he has been shown, and they also grow dirty and need to be cleaned. 

Why not just _not_ use them? Oh. Yes, because humans were weak and feeble creatures that could not warm themselves, broke and damaged easily and had only slow, pathetic healing abilities. 

Still, the layers of red and gold and soft white frills seems to frame his mate beautifully. His hair falls around him now too, looking how it did that one night on the boat… It's impossible to resist and Hubert can’t help but reach out to sink his hand into the softness of it, growing warm when Ferdinand leans back into him. 

Such a peculiar portrayal of affection. Humans were obsessed with small touches and kisses, whereas he himself wanted so desperately to take that man apart. Make him cry out but... It didn’t seem like now was a good time for it.

No, there was a voice in his head that told him to wait. That time would come, and waiting would make it more than worth it.   
  


\--  


Lorenz waited beside the entrance to the Aegir manor nervously, tapping his fingers against his elbow as he heard the commotion from behind the large gates.

From what he could tell, this Hubert character seemed extraordinarily _growly_ today and just as frustrated with the plans as Lorenz was feeling. 

But eventually they both appear, Hubert walking after Ferdinand with his hand gripping into the material of Ferdinand's sleeve almost _begging_ , uselessly so, for Ferdinand to stay. Yet his orange haired friend only shakes his head, and Hubert shrinks like an upset cat, before they both turn to Lorenz.

One with a bright smile and the other with his top lip twitching like a feral _pet_. 

"I will see you later, my love." Ferdinand says, pressing a kiss to the cheek of his gruesome beast, to which Hubert's expression softens momentarily. "You two have fun now, okay?" Another smile towards Lorenz, making his stomach drop slightly as he realises, _quite suddenly_ , what this means. 

"Ah, yes of course Ferdinand. Toodles." 

And then they both watch as Ferdinand leaves. 

Leaves without even looking back as he rounds the corner. Leaves as the air turns tense, and Hubert turns to him as he turns to Hubert, their eyes meet and Lorenz grimaces. 

What on _earth_ did Ferdinand see in him?

He looked like he belonged in the woods. All white like a vampire _thing_ with sharp features, cheekbones and jaw - a twitchy face and thin lips that were barely a different colour from the rest of him. He looked completely out of place too - dressed up in a white shirt that did not fit him, baggy around the waist and short in the sleeves, with trousers that basically hung off him. 

"I want to purchase a gift for him." He doesn’t even wait for Lorenz to ask him ‘ _excuse me?’_ Before he’s walking off, leaving him to jog up after.

"A present--?" He catches up - already panting as Hubert wastes no time in heading down the steps from the castle towards the main town, his long gangly legs walking in greater strides than Lorenz can keep up with. "Do you have any money?"

Hubert stops, and turns, "why? What is that?" And Lorenz sighs.

"You-.. it's our currency, you exchange money for goods and services." 

The look on Huberts face tells him that it’s going to be a very long day.

Hubert does seem to consider it though, frown growing on his face before he looks back up. “Where do I get _money_?” 

Lorenz barks out a laugh, to which Hubert snarls, muttering something about _‘finding it himself then’_ before walking off again and once more leaving Lorenz to catch up. 

Because as much as he disliked this man creature thing, he seemed to care about Ferdinand and... At the end of the day, Lorenz supposed, that was all that mattered. 

  
\--

  
Hubert didn’t really understand much of what was happening, just that Lorenz was determined on taking him to find what he referred to as _‘proper clothes’,_ because ‘ _if_ _you are surely intending on courting my friend, we cannot have you looking like you just crawled out of a swamp.’_ Hubert begged to differ, seeing as he _did_ just crawl out a swamp, but regardless they were at the so called shop now and Lorenz had Hubert stood on a strange little stool while an old lady took _‘notes’_ after _‘measuring_ ’ him. 

Whatever that meant.

“He doesn’t talk much now, does he?” The lady comments as she holds something up against him, another type of clothing Hubert can only assume. This type was a lot softer and shinier than the one Hubert was already dressed in, trimmed with silver buttons and black lace around the sleeves. It was quite extraordinary for something made by a human.

“No.” Lorenz replies on Hubert’s behalf, his lips wrinkling in a smile that makes his face all crooked and not in the same attractive way Ferdinand’s face does when he smiles. “He’s from New Holland.”

The room breaks out in chuckles, as if being from this place explains his behavior.

“You know what they say about New Holland.” The lady comments, walking away from Hubert to pick something else up, before walking back over with the new piece of fabric in her hands that she holds up to Hubert.

“Indeed.” Lorenz continues speaking, although much more to himself than before. “The world’s most bizarre marsupials. From _Echidnas_ to _Platypus_ , I can only assume what other... bizarre... egg laying... _monotremes..._ could be lurking in those unexplored oceans.” 

Lorenz meets his eyes with a smirk, and Hubert’s lip twitches in a snarl he just barely holds back. He better count himself lucky that Ferdinand seemed so _intent_ to keep his purple head on his shoulders. 

The chattering continues long after Hubert forces himself to stop listening, instead thinking about arriving back home and carrying Ferdinand up the many stairs to his bedroom, laying him out on the bed and taking him apart, but his thoughts are interrupted quickly, as they all are, by the same lady shoving some clothes at him and telling him to get dressed. 

However, this time, Hubert is forced to appreciate the way the black velvet of the _coat_ and tan silk of the _waistcoat_ shines when it’s against his body. Silky and smooth and matching his love who wears bright contrasting reds and golds. They looked a pair now, Hubert thought as he looked in the mirror, running his fingers over the soft material.

Maybe he was getting a hang of this human business after all. 

Or maybe not, he thought, dragging his hands up to his neck and his face which was so gaunt, sinking his fingers into his cheeks, sunken where Ferdinand’s were full and bright. Pale, grey where Ferdinand was rosy pink and orange.

“Hello? Are you done?” Comes Lorenz’s bitter voice through the sheet of fabric which Hubert pulls back, greeted with a flippant look and a dismissive, “You look great, go with this one.”

They left the shop soon after, and the tension that had been with him had seemingly left Lorenz’s shoulders - perhaps now because he could be less embarrassed to be seen with Hubert in public. 

Lorenz led, and Hubert followed, until the two of them arrived in a place more full of life than anywhere Hubert had been yet. People were dressed in similar outfits to them both, bright patterns and colours, chattering and lively as strange animals pulling carriages navigated through the streets. There were plenty of ships in the harbour too, with their sails drawn and men aboard, working in the golden sunlight, just as Ferdinand had been that day he saw him...

_‘...on that day, when Hubert saw Ferdinand standing there with his clothing hardly buttoned up, his hair free and his smile bright; Hubert had decided he wanted him...’_

Would Ferdinand still be there if not for Hubert? 

“What do you want to purchase for him, anyway?” Lorenz’s unattractive voice pulls him from his thoughts, rudely interrupting his memories again though the question gave him pause.

“Hm.” He glances around, and his brows draw a little more, his heart beating growing louder in his ears as the realisation dawns on him that he… isn’t even quite sure what Ferdinand would even want. He casts his eyes around with a sudden, vicious desperation, his eyes snagging on one thing after another. People barge past him in his sudden stillness, knocking into his shoulders, and he can’t seem to find Lorenz amongst the crowd anymore either.

He knew nothing of this perfect human, other than the fact he wanted to be with him. But what sort of gift would you even present to someone to convey that? What could he, a monster, offer Ferdinand, someone who could have anything they wanted?

His feet moved under him, his _feet,_ heavy and confined in _boots,_ and it wasn’t how it was meant to be. He shouldn’t have come to land, to try and create a home with a man like _Ferdinand,_ vibrant and loving, with his heart on his sleeve and always trying so hard to make sure everything was okay. Always trying to make sure Hubert was okay, even though Hubert had never done the same for them when they first met and yet… 

He didn’t belong in this world, it suddenly dawned on him. He did not deserve to be in the sun with Ferdinand.  
  


\---  
  


“Oh, for _goddesses’_ sake,” Lorenz snaps, breathless and halting as Hubert finally comes to a stop at the edge of the jetty after suddenly bolting away, deaf to Lorenz’s yelling, “Sea Monster! Hello?” He follows up, after a few moments of no reply and Huberts intense staring at the rippling water. 

Reluctantly, he raises a hand, if not just for the clothes Hubert was about to ruin, and gingerly places it against Hubert’s shoulder in an attempt to pull him back from the edge. Hoping, _praying,_ that Huberts arm wouldn’t snap off from the touch, or that the creature wouldn’t give him some sort of illness from the contact alone. 

Hubert growls at the touch, and Lorenz quickly takes a step back in case he decides to bite. But he doesn’t, he just turns his head barely and gives Lorenz a wild glare, tense as a board.

It was intriguing seeing such human emotions rise from within Hubert. When he had left Ferdinand, for all those months, Lorenz thought that perhaps he was only coming back now to finish the job. To hurt Ferdinand again in the same way that a leech crawls towards the allure of blood, purely for themselves and uncaring of the man left behind. 

It didn’t seem like that now. 

“Unsure what to… court with.” Huberts gravelly voice comes out, weak and nervous. It was sort of cute, if not terribly pathetic. “Ferdinand…” Hubert visibly struggles with what he is trying to say, “... is…too...there’s not something that...” he makes a gesture with his bony hands, deflating with a frustrated breath. 

Lorenz stares. 

“Too...good. Not like me.” 

Lorenz nods, and Hubert stares into the ocean waves that seem to grow - along with the sun that is now shaded by storm clouds, dark and moody just like Hubert. Witchcraft. “So leave then, if that’s how you feel.”

“No!” Hubert finally turns to face him, and his eyes are pitch black, face covered in horrible scales of dark purple and blue that stick out from his skin. It’s a wonder how Ferdinand fell for such a creature, but then again… at least he seems, dare Lorenz say it, committed. “I… want to be _good_ back to him.” 

Silence falls between them again, the crashing of the waves calming down once more. Lorenz finally takes a breath, letting his shoulders sag and his eyes roll for one undignified moment, for he can’t believe what he is about to say. 

“Well stop… _moping_ and go find something that tells him that. If you feel that way, show him. Or just _say_ it.”

Hubert finally steps back from the edge of the jetty, composure still shaken but eyes flickering back to their usual state. Skin gaunt, but scaleless again. 

“I am his. How do I...make… him be mine?”

But despite his broken English, Lorenz understands with sickening clarity. So he nods and gestures with a turn for Hubert to follow.

“Say no more, we will find the perfect gift for your _beau_.”


End file.
